Let's talk conformation

[FrenchKiss]

Hi there fellow Frenchie lovers!

I've been reading up and researching Frenchies (after buying my two pet quality Frenchies) and have been very disturbed by the bastardization of this breed. I am seeing "rare colors" ie., colors not within the breed standards selling anywhere from 5-15K. Meanwhile the structure and health screenings for hips, eyes, and other genetic anomalies known to this breed are being completely ignored. The market is being flooded with "frenchies" that are not looking so Frenchie anymore. It's clearly a ploy by money hungry people who do not give one cent of care about the overall breed health and conformation.

So I've talked with my husband and told him I am seriously thinking of entering back into the breed/show world in the future but this time for Frenchies. This would be in about 10 years so I can dedicate the time and effort (I have 3 small children now) to make sure I am doing justice to this breed. In the meantime I have found only a few websites dedicated to the overall health of the breed. What I really need is a mentor who has done this and can show me what to look for in conformation. Previously I had a wonderful mentor in the Sheltie world who was kind, gentle and had an excellent eye for the breed. I know we have a few folks here who do conformation and would love to hear all you can teach me. I would also like to start a dialog here on the board where we can gently and kindly explain why breeding for conformation is so important and why we should avoid buying "fad" colors. Education is the key, not judgement. :yes:

 

[FrenchKiss]

http://www.bandogfrenchies.com/judgingfrenchbulldogs.pdf

I found this site very helpful for "seeing" what makes good conformation vs less than ideal.

 

[Cbrugs]

[MENTION=4]davidh[/MENTION] breeds and shows Frenchies.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[davidh]

That is a good article, I have read it before. Best way it meet people and get to know breeders is to go to some dog shows. Talk to the Frenchie people there and get to know them. Try to find some that may live close to you. Myself and a few on here can help if you have any questions. Finding a mentor definitely helps especially when it comes to breeding. I have met a lot of good people in the Frenchie world and at shows. It was a hard start at first when I first started out in Frenchies as no one wanted to talk to me. They were kind of stand offish. I was from the English Bulldog side where we were a close friendly group and we helped each other out. It wasn't like at first in Frenchies. But know I know a lot of them and we are all good friends so don't get discouraged if you run into some that may not want to talk right away. They just need to get to know you. Finding a good show quality Frenchie can be a chore until you get to know a few good breeders. We can hopefully help with that also. Go to the French Bulldog Club of America web site and read the standard. https://frenchbulldogclub.org To see pics of some good Frenchies the Frenchie Fancy magazine has some good Frenchies. They have a web site to see the pics. PM me with an question you may have, I am here to help if I can.

 

[FrenchKiss]

Thank you David! I admit my first stumbling into the breeding/show rings were embarrassing. But no one would take me seriously and I could only read how-to books and eventually found SheltieLove (out of print but an invaluable resource about genetics and conformation) to get the basics. Then I took in two show dogs that an expectant mother was offloading and that connected me back to my mentor. She was born into the show world as her parents owned one of the oldest kennels in the US. She grew up when fun matches were common and it was normal to sleep in someone's barn the night before a big show. The community was much more supportive and casual than present day.

She is still breeding but due to her aging body she can no longer go in the show ring. We've lost touch when I went out of country to go to medical school but I've been thinking about reaching back out to her. It's my hope to eventually become like her and help move another generation into the conformation world.

 

[Mavis]

http://www.bandogfrenchies.com/judgingfrenchbulldogs.pdf

I found this site very helpful for "seeing" what makes good conformation vs less than ideal.

I thought this was very interesting. I have often wondered what constitutes the ideal breed standard, however, I never researched. When you see pictures of an ideal frenchie, however, you can see it. Good luck.

 

[FrenchKiss]

Davidh,

Do you still breed English bulldogs? I only wanted Frenchies for pets and my husband had to be cajoled into this breed because he was unfamiliar with their peculiar appearance. Now he wants an English, lol! I've been doing my research and unfortunately most local breeders are doing the "rare" color thing and they aren't very good conformation selections. I live in NE Florida, any locals you could recommend?

 

[Cbrugs]

Davidh,

Do you still breed English bulldogs? I only wanted Frenchies for pets and my husband had to be cajoled into this breed because he was unfamiliar with their peculiar appearance. Now he wants an English, lol! I've been doing my research and unfortunately most local breeders are doing the "rare" color thing and they aren't very good conformation selections. I live in NE Florida, any locals you could recommend?

You might want to join our sister site English Bulldog News. Someone over there might be able to recommend a reputable breeder.

 

[davidh]

Davidh,

Do you still breed English bulldogs? I only wanted Frenchies for pets and my husband had to be cajoled into this breed because he was unfamiliar with their peculiar appearance. Now he wants an English, lol! I've been doing my research and unfortunately most local breeders are doing the "rare" color thing and they aren't very good conformation selections. I live in NE Florida, any locals you could recommend?

I no longer breed English, only Frenchies. I know several bully breeders, but none have pups at the moment.